Thrust bearing



June 19, 1923. 1,459,454

H. R. TROTTER THRUST BEARING Filed April 29. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR A ATTORNEY June 19, 1923. a 1,459,454

H. R. TROTTER THRUST BEARING Filed April 29 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATYTORNEY an ting Patented June 19, 1923..

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HENRY TROTTER, E SWAETEMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, AfifiZGNQR T0 WEQTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC VA.

THRUST B L.

dz MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A. GQEPGEFEATEQH @H PETE- a EEG,

Application filed April 29, 19211. Ber-Isl 28o. 4%,42.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. Tno'rrnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swarthmore, in the county of Dela- B ware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a' newand useful Improvement in Thrust Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thrust bearings m and has for its object to provide apparatus iications thereof.

In the manufacture of thrust bearings, it has been common practice, for some time, to transmit the thrust directly from the rotating body to fixed thrust-receiving means,

25 either directly or through tiltably mounted shoes, establishing a wedge-shaped pressure receiving oil film, as in the well known Kingsbury thrust bearing. With the use of certain forms of machinery, however, such for example as high-speed, high-power steam turbines, it is found that at high rubb1ng velocities the load imposed upon a bearing, of the simple type above referred to, tends to become excessive, resulting in undue heating of the oil and in the destruction of the bearing members.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore, I subdivide the thrust-transmitfunction into two or more parts, in that I transmit the thrust from the high-speed rotor to an intermediate member rotating at a relatively lower speed and I then transmit the thrust from this last-named member 45 to the fixed thrust-receiving means. In this manner, the relative speed between any two opposed thrust-transmitting means is radically reduced and more favorable operating conditions are obtained.

59 Referring to the drawing for a more dehigh-speed, high-power turbine not pro-- vlded with dummies or other pressure-balancing means.

The shaft is provided with a thrusttransmltting flange 11 and runs in a fixed shaft bearing 120f an desired form. A thrust collar 13 is keye to the shaft 10, as

. indicated at 14, and bears against the flange 11. This collar may be provided with teeth 15 forming an external gear thereon for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

A supplemental thrust collar 16 is mountat 17, and may carry tiltable thrust-receiving blocks 18 bearing against the face of the thrust collar 13, or, if desired, these thrust blocks may be omitted and the su plemental collar 16 may bear directly against the collar 13. The supplemental collar 16 is also provided with external teeth '19 so as to form a gear therearound.

A bracket 20 carries the main shaft hearing 12 and may be provided with tiltable thrust receiving blocks 21 bearing against the back of the supplemental collar 16 or, if desired, the bracket 20 may bear directly against the collar 16 through a suitable fixed bearing face.

A jack-shaft 22 is mounted in suitable bearings 23 and 24 and carries a gear 25 meshing with the teeth 15 on the collar 13 and also. a gear 26 meshing with the teeth 19 on the collar 16, the relative gear ratios preferably being such that the supplemental collar 16 is driven in the same direction as the shaft 10 and at substantially one-half the speed thereof.

Having thus described the arrangement of' 'gztween the bearing surface of the shaft collar 13 and the tilting blocks 18 is only one-half that which would be present were the shaft collar 13 to bear directly against the fixed thrust-receiving member, as is the present practice.

ed for rotation upon the shaft 10, as shown 16 and to the fixed blocks 21, the relative velocity in this latter case also being substantially one-half that which would be present were the thrust transmitted directly from-the rotor to a fixed member.

By the use of this tandem arrangement of thrust blocks, it follows that there is at no point such excessive relative velocity combined with high pressureas to overstress the metal or to over-heat the oil which may be provided to the faces of the thrust blocks 18 to provide a wedge-shaped oil film of the well known type.

ferring to the form of my invention shown ,in Figure 2, the general arrangement is as shown in Figure 1, with the exception that the supplemental collar 19 carries an annular flange or collar 30 extending along the shaft for a considerable distance and providing a main shaft bearing 31, this latter bearing also centering the supplemental collar 16. The shaft bearing 32 carried by the bracket 20 does not contact directly with the shaft 10 .but rather bears against the outer surface of the collar member 30 so that not only is there a reduced relative velocity of the opposed arts in each portion of the thrust bearing relative velocities in the shaft bearing itself are cut in half, in that the relative velocity between the shaft 10 and the bearing 31 15 substantially one-half that obtained between the shaft 10 and the bearin 12 of the device, as shown in Figure 1 an in like manner, the relative velocity between the member 30 and the bearing 32 is substantially only one-half of that obtaining between the shaft 10 and bearing 12 in Figure 1. Thus, by the elimination of extremely high velocity between the bearing members, an exceptionally reliable bearing is provided for the severe service contemplated.

In the form of m invention shown in Fi re 3, the shaft angev 11 bears against a thiust collar 40 keyed to the shaft and the thrust is transmitted from the collar to a supplemental collar 41 journaled on the shaft at 42 for free rotation and carrying thrust blocks 43. p The su plemental collar 41, in turn, bears against thrust shoes 21 carried by the fixed casing.

Thus, it will be seen that the supplemental collar 41 is free to float at an intermediate speed, so to speak, and if the two sets of thrust shoes are of similar design and mean radius, the supplemental collar 41 tends to run at substantially one-half the speed of the shaft, thus providing a relatively lovv rubbing velocity on each set of thrust shoes.-

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my invention is susceptible of ut also the restart further extensions, in that two or more suplemental thrust collars may be provide, each rotating or being driven at a difierent speed so that the high velocity thrust may he stepped down to a thrust against a fixed member in three or more steps, suitable gearing being chosen to provide forthe necessary relative velocities.

' While I have shown-my invention in but two forms, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifical? set forth in the appended claims.

What claim is: 1. In a thrust bearing structure, the combination with a rotatable shaft carrying a shaft thrust collar, of a rotatably mounted supplemental thrust collar provided with tiltably mounted thrust blocks against said shaft collar, fixed thrust-receiving means provided with' tiltable thrust blocks bearing against the back of said supplemental thrust collar, and means for rotatably driving said supplemental collar at a speed other than that of said shaft.

2. In a thrust bearing structure, the combination with a rotatable shaft carrying a supplemental thrust collar provided with tiltably mounted thrust blocks bearing against said shaft collar, fixed thrust-receiving means provided with tiltable thrust blocks bearing against the back of said supplemental thrust collar, and means for rotatably driving said supplemental collar in the same direction as said shaft but at a different speed from that thereof.

3. In a thrust bearin structure, the combination with a rota-ta le shaft carrying a shaft thrust collar of a rotatably mounted supplemental thrust collar provided with shaft thrust collar, of a rotatably mounted tiltably mounted thrust blocks bearing against said shaft collar, fixed thrust-receiving means provided with tiltable thrust blocks bearing against the back of said supplemental thrust collar and means for ro- .tatably driving said supplemental collar in' the same direction as said shaft and at a.

tatably driving said supplemental collar in the same direction as said shaft and at a spect to that of said shaft.

6. In a thrust bearing structure, the combination with a rotatable shaft carrying a shaft thrust collar, of a rotatably mounted supplemental thrust collar provided with tiltably mounted thrust blocks bearing against said shaft collar, fixed thrust-receiving means provided with tiltable thrust blocks bearing against the back of said supplemental thrust collar, and a gear connection between said shaft and said supplemental collar, whereby the latter is turned in the same direction as said shaft and at substantially one-half the speed thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day ofApril, 1921.

HENRY R. TROTTER. 

